OzRant for Tuesday, November 16th 2010

All Ords up modestly, adding 0.20%; volume above average and losers dominate breadth stats by 1.2:1: sectors mixed with a slight downside bias. The NZSE50 closed down 0.4% for the day. In Japan, the Nikkei225 has added 0.2% so far; Hong Kong's Hang Seng is down 0.1%.The KOSPI has lost 0.3% so far today.

There was no economic data of note released in the region today.

Major Market Indices

The broad market – the All Ordinaries (XAO) – advanced modestly, rising 9.5 points (0.20%), finishing at 4782.8 points. The index hit an intraday high of 4792.5 at 10:36 am, while the low for the day was 4755.4 – set at 1:26 pm Sydney time.

Total volume traded on the ASX was 2.65bn units, 26.1% above its 10-day average of 2.1bn shares.The ASX's daily listing of all stocks included 1418 different 3-letter FPO's which traded (i.e., had non-zero trade volume). Of these, 477 issues rose, with volume in rising issues totalling 963.2m units; there were 594 declining stocks, which traded aggregate declining volume of 1.09bn shares.

Of the 497 All Ordinaries components, 192 rose while 177 fell. Volume was tilted in favour of the losers by a margin of 1.2:1, with 469.88m shares traded in gainers while 544.82m shares traded in the day's losers.

The Index that forms the cash basis for the SPI Futures – the S&P/ASX 200 (XJO) – posted a modest rise of 12.3 points (0.26%), closing out the session at 4700.3 points.

The "heavy hitters" of the Australian market – the ASX 20 Leaders (XTL) – advanced by under a percent, adding 10.9 points (0.39%), closing out the session at 2819 points.

Among the 20 big guns, 12 index components finished to the upside, and 9 lost ground. The stocks which make up the index traded a total of 220.62m units; 12 index components rose, with rising volume amounting to 87.35m shares, while the 9 decliners had volume traded totalling 133.27m units. The major percentage gainers within the index were

Stockland (SGP), +$0.09 (2.49%) to $3.71 on volume of 7.6 million shares;

Telstra Corp Ltd (TLS), -$0.03 (1.15%) to $2.58 on volume of 70.8 million shares; and

CSL Ltd (CSL), -$0.33 (0.94%) to $34.68 on volume of 1.6 million shares.

The ASX Small Ordinaries (XSO) swam in the opposite direction to the big fish today. lost ground even as the Top20 posted a gain. The Small Ords slid modestly, falling 5.6 points (0.2%), closing out the session at 2754.4 points.

Among the stocks that make up the Small Caps index, 92 index components finished to the upside, and of the rest, 91 closed lower for the session.

The 235 stocks which make up the index traded a total of 524.79m units: volume in the 92 gainers totalling 138.66m shares, with trade totalling 239.4m units in the index's 91 declining components. The major percentage gainers within the index were

Market Breadth

GICS Industry Indices

Among the 11 industry indices, it was pretty much even stevens, with a very slight lead to the duds… the 5 that had an "up" day were just shaded by the remaining 6 which didn't.

The best performing index was Information Technology (XIJ), which added 12.6 points (2.12%) to 607.9 points. This index only contains 3 stocks; they traded a total of 2.04m units today. 3 index components rose, with rising volume amounting to 2.04m shares, none of the stocks in the index lost ground. The major percentage gainers within the index were

Computershare Ltd (CPU), +$0.24 (2.49%) to $9.89 on volume of 1.7 million shares;

Second in the index leadership stakes was Financials ex Property Trusts (XXJ), which gained 47.1 points (0.94%) to 5051.9 points. The 23 stocks which make up the index traded a total of 156.53m units; 14 index components rose, with rising volume amounting to 111.67m shares, while the 5 decliners had volume traded totalling 41.48m units. The major percentage gainers within the index were

The bronze medal for today goes to Property Trusts (XPJ), which climbed 6.2 points (0.75%) to 837 points. The 16 stocks which make up the index traded a total of 151.4m units; 9 index components rose, with rising volume amounting to 77.04m shares, while the 2 decliners had volume traded totalling 24.88m units. The major percentage gainers within the index were

Charter Hall Group (CHC), +$0.12 (5.29%) to $2.39 on volume of 1.1 million shares;

Goodman Group (GMG), +$0.02 (3.28%) to $0.63 on volume of 23.7 million shares;

Astro Japan Property Group (AJA), +$0.01 (2.9%) to $0.36 on volume of 303.1 thousand shares; and

Stockland (SGP), +$0.09 (2.49%) to $3.71 on volume of 7.6 million shares.

The worst-performed index for the session was Telecommunications (XTJ), which dipped 10 points (1.1%) to 900.7 points. The 3 stocks which make up the index traded a total of 80.5m units; The 3 decliners had volume traded totalling 80.5m units, – none of the index components ended with a gain. The major percentage decliners within the index were

Telecom Corporation Of New Zealand Ltd (TEL), -$0.02 (1.17%) to $1.69 on volume of 8.7 million shares;

Telstra Corp Ltd (TLS), -$0.03 (1.15%) to $2.58 on volume of 70.8 million shares; and

Just missing out on the wooden spoon was Healthcare (XHJ), which slid 61.3 points (0.72%) to 8431.1 points. The 10 stocks which make up the index traded a total of 26.55m units; The 6 decliners had volume traded totalling 11.71m units, and volume in the lone rising index component was 0.39m shares, The major percentage decliners within the index were

ISOFT Group Ltd (ISF), -$0 (3.16%) to $0.09 on volume of 2.9 million shares;

ResMed Inc (RMD), -$0.02 (0.58%) to $3.40 on volume of 4.2 million shares.

Third-to-last amongst the sector indices was Energy (XEJ), which slid 44.2 points (0.28%) to 15597 points. The 23 stocks which make up the index traded a total of 119.63m units; The 11 decliners had volume traded totalling 37.33m units, and 8 index components rose, with rising volume amounting to 15.41m shares, The major percentage decliners within the index were